(CNN) - Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, said Sunday that it is certain that a presidential candidate from the Republican Party will endorse same-sex marriage.

Asked whether he could support a Republican presidential candidate someday who supported same-sex marriage on NBC's "Meet the Press," he replied, "I think that's inevitable. There will be one, and that I think he'll receive Republican support, or she will. I think that … the answer is yes."Follow @politicalticker

But Flake suggested that he will not be that candidate.

"I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. I still hold to the traditional definition of marriage," he said.

Mitt Romney, the party's 2012 presidential candidate, stated his opposition to same-sex marriage but said states could extend some rights to same-sex partners.

Ed Gillespie, a senior adviser to Romney's campaign, noted the GOP "platform right now calls for a federal constitutional amendment to ban" same-sex marriage.

"There may be a debate about that," he said, adding, "I don't think you would ever see the Republican Party platform saying we are in favor of same sex marriage."

The party, he said on "Fox News Sunday," has not been effective in communicating its position on the issue.

"I do think that in the context of this debate, as in so many other debates, Republicans have been cast in the negative … to say we are opposing something, as opposed to talking about what most Republicans are for," he said. “Most Republicans are also for the benefits of marriage in the legal system that are afforded, the protections like, for example, … hospital visitation rights or survivorship benefits, and I think you will hear more Republicans making that point, that we can do those things without having the government sanction same-sex marriage."

Support for same-sex marriage is significantly higher in the Democratic Party than the Republican Party. The mid-March CNN/ORC poll found that 70% of Democrats supported same sex-marriage and 25% of Republicans supported the same. Among independents, 55% supported same-sex marriage.

soundoff(28 Responses)

Slightly Leary

Man, it makes no difference. Your party has shown itself for what it really is. The main platform for the haves, not the have not's.

March 31, 2013 04:40 pm at 4:40 pm |

becca

WHY? NO, nothing to do with the EVOLUTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS, just the R's need to try and win some elections. BTW.........Jesus never said to HATE AND EXCLUDE ANYONE. Wonder what the repub who just called gays, "FILTHY," will have to say about that? Really, WHAT DOES THE REBPULICAN PARTY STAND FOR ANYMORE????

March 31, 2013 04:46 pm at 4:46 pm |

chris

At first I thought the headline was saying "some flake said Repubs will back gay marriage" (countering Rove's recent statement), until I read more and saw it's a quote from a Republican NAMED Flake... big difference in context. So he's confirming Rove which is another burr in the collective "conservative" skivvies, which bolsters the fact that Rove knows there are more moderate votes to be grabbed if he doesn't pander the rightwingnut base. Haven't heard much from rightwingnut "conservatives" since the election, except them saying they need a candidate who is much more conservative than Romney if they want to win the presidency. It's possible they could come up with a fiscal conservative who'd slide on social issues, but this is what Daniels was and he wouldn't have lasted through the GOP primary/circus – "conservatives" are too dumb to understand numbers... they tend to nod off if someone's not criticizing a Democrat.

March 31, 2013 05:08 pm at 5:08 pm |

Connie

I do believe that marriage is only between a man and a woman. And I will only support candidates who are opposed to gay marriage.

March 31, 2013 05:56 pm at 5:56 pm |

littlelizard

Becca..they stand for what they have always stood for...racism,bigotry,the rich, large corps,etc.

March 31, 2013 06:14 pm at 6:14 pm |

Name

Well by the becca, you are right and you are wrong. Yes Jesus would not want you hate, however as much people don't want to hear it, in God's eyes, homosexuals are any abomination. Thats in the bible, look it up.

March 31, 2013 06:28 pm at 6:28 pm |

Randy, San Francisco

Not so fast. The intra-party batttle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party among the different factions, Tea Partiers, social conservatives, libertarians, and establishment Republicans, have just begun. Let's wait until the presidential primaries of 2016 to see which candidates have the guts to come out for same sex marriage.

March 31, 2013 06:31 pm at 6:31 pm |

AnotherTom

Talk about a perfect name for a senator, Senator Flake!

March 31, 2013 06:34 pm at 6:34 pm |

Elijah

All this talk about gays is just a distraction from all the real problems.

March 31, 2013 06:40 pm at 6:40 pm |

kerryp

It is better to be condemned for standing up for your values,
Then to being on your knees bowing down to that which you know is wrong.
Jesus says not to judge others, for he along is worthy to judge.
We are not to judge and we are not to encourage or except the actions of those who go against the will of God.
Try reading Romans 1:24-32

So Freaking tired of the gay agenda. The Bible is so clear about its evil. Disprove the Bible and then I might listen to the gay agenda.

March 31, 2013 08:45 pm at 8:45 pm |

Thoughtful Resistense

Amazing. Since they lost the election, the republicans are as nervous as a canary in a coal mine. Kinda makes me believe that they knew all along that they were not doing the right thing for the American people. They just played the low hole card till they got caught. Now it's a different story. They knew it all along, they were gambling that power could be attained through rigged voting rights and misinformation from the right wing propaganda machine. The real sad truth, some listened to them.

March 31, 2013 09:00 pm at 9:00 pm |

rs

A brave prediction (especially for one who caved in to the NRA on background checks). I hope he is right though, the GOP is dying rapidly with it's radical "conservative" social philosophies. We need two viable political parties in America.

March 31, 2013 09:27 pm at 9:27 pm |

nubwaxer

there's going to be a whole lot of flip flopping going on. it's just more lipstick on a pig.

March 31, 2013 09:33 pm at 9:33 pm |

plain&simple

Say one thing....then do another!!! Republicans seem to be doing a lot of that these past few decades!!!

March 31, 2013 09:46 pm at 9:46 pm |

The REAL TRUTH...

It IS inevitable, even tho I disagree with it.. Like most of the right and their uneducated focus on spending, this is not about religion. From a religious perspective I side with the right (that's the conservative in me), but from a legal perspective the GOP is doomed to failure.
It's about civil unions and partner benefits, TOD accounts and inheritance, that "married" couples get by default that most "partner" unions do not.
Civil union or not, marriage a religious term and the right should separate the two.

March 31, 2013 09:57 pm at 9:57 pm |

fernace

The "separate but equal" laws were deemed to be unconst.itutional 50 years ago & we're not willing to go through that kind of discrimination again! It's detrimental for all of society! The right thing to do is to adhere to the consti.tution which has already granted the same rights to gays! Laws blocking/banning are discriminatory, bigoted & have no place in our democratic, accepting society! Ask any kid, they'll tell you which side of history is the right 1!!

March 31, 2013 10:46 pm at 10:46 pm |

Seth

So unbelievably tired of the gay agenda being forced upon society. It is like agent orange – seemingly harmless and beneficial but in the long run incredibly dangerous and harmful. Does anyone even read or believe the Bible anymore? 6000 years of truth are really going to be erased by 10 years of falsehood and agenda?

March 31, 2013 11:47 pm at 11:47 pm |

fernace

The Republican party is so behind the times! Do they really believe their "segregation message, part 2" will be well recieved!? First, people who stand for human & equal rights have seen this "show" before & it's Still not right! 2nd, it Is inevitable that equal rights will prevail! No matter how long it takes!!

April 1, 2013 12:17 am at 12:17 am |

Sue

What would be truly nice would be if the republicans would give up and admit the hatemongering attempted when members of their party made illogical arguments and comparisons that "support" their positions against gay marriage – statements made that compare it to bestiality, polygamy, and pedophilia. If anything ever made me actively vote against a party, it has been statements such as these. This new "surrender to the inevitable" tone is better, certainly less offensive, but doesn't take away the insults that have been hurled on this issue.

April 1, 2013 04:09 am at 4:09 am |

Marie MD

This is all about votes. They all think the same way akin and murdouch think and deep down believe about women and rape.
I thought god (whichever one you worship) is all about loving everyone with no exclusions.
Do they eat shellfish? That's a sin according to the bible. One of them since like the mormons it's been written and rewritten by man to change with the times. Well, not really "change".

April 1, 2013 06:38 am at 6:38 am |

Name lynn

Marriage is between a man an women, not two women nor two mens, yet is not worth putting same sex marriage in the media who care its other problems need to be solve ad same sex marriage is not one of them.

April 1, 2013 07:08 am at 7:08 am |

Jeff Brown in Jersey

Hello GOP, welcome to the real world! It took an election trouncing to get you to even open your eyes!

April 1, 2013 09:46 am at 9:46 am |

Rusty Krus

@Seth
So unbelievably tired of the gay agenda being forced upon society. It is like agent orange – seemingly harmless and beneficial but in the long run incredibly dangerous and harmful. Does anyone even read or believe the Bible anymore? 6000 years of truth are really going to be erased by 10 years of falsehood and agenda?

No Seth, a lot of us do not believe your bible any more. It is filled with hate and lies and was written by men, not God.